N F O U L E D C I A NG R G
Creative expressions of insight and hope in the face of climate change
Susan Ahlstrom Jane Dell Ellen Hanauer Yvette Lucas Keely McCool Pamela Moore Gina Casolaro Murray
November 17th I December 31st I 2016 Curated by Mary Z
I
Please contact the Gallery by phone at 973.746.8737 or email gallery@73seegallery.com with your inquiries. Curated by Mary Z. 73 See Gallery, 73 C Pine Street, Montclair, NJ 07042 © 73 See Gallery 2016
CATALOG #13
Grace Unfolding: Creative expressions of insight and hope in the face of climate change Susan Ahlstrom Jane Dell Ellen Hanauer Yvette Lucas Keely McCool Pamela Moore Gina Casolaro Murray
November 17th I December 31st I 2016 Curated by Mary Z
CURATOR STATEMENT
M
any recognize a sense of inadequacy when putting out recycling,
buying a better lumen bulb or attempting to grow a vegetable plant on a porch/front yard. Many decide to buy healthy meals shipped to residences to save carbon dollars. Still many wonder of the economy of choice while many do not. Many do not have the privilege of choosing these paths as means available to them make it impossible to even consider. Is our Mother earth finite in her ability to sustain us? Genuinely this is one of the great questions facing us. Many long for neighborhood where grand ma’s and pa’s, aunties and cousins prance into our existence with kindness, wisdom and understanding. In reality we rarely now perceive that as welcoming, more an intrusion, because we, ourselves, do not often feel fundamentally regarded with kindness, wisdom and understanding. Truly rarely did our ancestors before us. If we do not feel empathy can we share empathy? Comfort and place is at question. Or perhaps the quality of place. Many are without immediate contact with our earth, sky and water, rarely fire unless
we’re speaking about unspeakable war, and thus suffer from a frugal relationship with our most fundamental regard for our essential existence – response to the beauty that truely sustains us. Others only experience these fundamentals of existence at great scarcity and tremendous loss – yet still hold the awesome acknowledgment of grandeur. So perhaps it is timely again and again to try to covey a deep respect to our planet Mother, all of her citizens and inhabitants in the spirit of family. Our neighborhoods embracing our shared need for community through the imagining’s of artists. Artists who have taken the time to wonder and design thresholds into a respectful understanding of the need for at least spurring on a conversation that strikes to the core of our very existence. Are we our Mothers keepers. What acts and choices are relevant? Can beauty and art lead us in the right direction? I think the work in this exhibit does just that from a septet of artists uniquely addressing their individual concerns in a variety of mediums to help inform, remind and urge us into broader thinking and actions. Also, as it turns out, all of these artists are women. The call for entry into this
exhibit had wide parameters, “seeking works of professional artists addressing contemporary issues including climate change, land use and ecology, social issues around class, race and institutionalized injustices, including works that are hybrids of artistic practice, design, science and activism”. However the submissions began to give this exhibit its form and substance. It is not surprising to me that the strong visual voices that emerged to unfiy a concept came from these woman artists working to articulate their concerns and inspire others through thier work to become more engaged or aware of our Mother Earth’s pressing issues. The mediums these artists use vary broadly from mud and leaves, paper, polyurethane, ecoprints, textile, stone, clay, and glass but the common theme is both beauty and awareness. It is a priviledge to bring these works and artists together in an exhibit that I trust will both engage and inspire. I thank all seven of these artists for making a vision a reality. – Mary Z, curator 2016
Please contact the Gallery: gallery@73seegallery.com with your inquiries.
SUSAN AHLSTroM
I
moved to NYC from a small town in Rhode Island when I was 19 and traveled
often to unique places in the world courtesy of Scandinavian Airlines, my employer. It was in Norway that my first deeper insights into nature and the environment occurred, because in Norway, nature is cherished and protected. In the mid-90s there were troubles in the Pacific Northwest, where hillsides became bare from clear-cuts and old growth forests almost disappeared. My first works exploring land, logging and development were game boards, which I used to raise questions like what is the value of trees and land in our communities, and what is the cost of staying on the current path. Today there is a greater interest and respect for Citizen Science. Local businesses, individuals and families volunteer at our wildlife refuges to improve habitats of birds and animals, protect and preserve native plants, and to assist staff in monitoring water quality and removing invasive species. As our natural environments become more cherished and we learn to hold nature sacred, my hope is that we keep better watch and devise new ways of responding to and addressing our environmental and ecological challenges. – Susan Ahlstrom, 2016
Tower of Extinction wood, clay tiles, mixed media 64”h x 12”w x 13”d 1000.
Handmade Tiles of Threatened clay and glazes 4” square in 10” x 1.75” Frame 100. each
Game of Life plaster of paris, watercolors, clay 19.675” l x 15.25” w x 1.375” d 875.
Limited Space wood with 10 porcelain figures 34.375” h x 4” w x 2.175” d 500.
Jane Dell
E
ach Lunar Phase painting captures an imaginary moment of time. The work
aims to create several layers of meaning, which the viewer can slowly, upon reflection, unravel. Figures, animals and their environments interact with abstract elemements that fuse a narrative and reality inspired by the love of nature and concern about environmental issues. Each mixed-media work incorporates photo collage elements in an additive, seamlessly layered process with textured, expressionistic painted surfaces embedded on 300lb. cold pressed handmade paper. The theme “Lunar Phase” is inspired by the scientific term Lunar Effect that describes the correlation between specific stages of the lunar cycle and the influence it might have on the behavoir of insects, animals and humans. It is my hope that the spirit of these works will act as a key to awaken what is already deep within the observer, a wonder and love of nature. – Jane Dell, 2016
Lunar Phase Wolves mixed media collage 30” x 39” 1400.
Lunar Phase Fire Bird mixed media collage 30” x 39” 1400.
Lunar Phase Seaweed mixed media collage 30” x 39” 1400.
Lunar Phase Forbidden Fruit mixed media collage 30” x 39” 1400.
Lunar Phase Clouds mixed media collage 30” x 39” 1400.
ELLEN HANAUER
A
world exists, even if it is hidden. Beauty exists, even if it
remains unseen. My creative process leads me to discover truths in dark, underground spaces. The sculpture, created blindly in a subterranean process, speaks of life forms primitive and unnamed. For me, these are metaphors for aspects of self, longing to be developed. My interest in the invisible world began almost twenty years ago and has taken me on a journey from the inner caverns of the human body to subterranean spaces that rarely see the sun. Unlike my previous work where I knew what I was looking for, here I am searching for answers in the dark. The results are suggestions of life forms undiscovered and unnamed — reminiscent of that which was formed in the dark primordial soup of creation. Sculpting underground, allows me to break free from the limits of what my eyes know to be true. As I search below the surface for answers, I hope to gain insight into truths not visible in daylight, truths in their most authentic forms. – Ellen Hanauer, 2016
Splash cast polyurethane foam 22” x 34” x 4” 700.
Starlets cast polyurethane foam variable 150. each
Ocean Fiber 5’ x 7’ private collection of the artist
Flower of the Sea cast polyurethane foam 18” x 48” 700.
YVETTE LUCAS
Moths to Flame
M
oths are irresistibly drawn to light even if that results in their
own destruction. Like them, we seem oblivious to the danger we create for ourselves when we over-harvest the resources of this planet for our own comfort and gratification. We continue our own downward spiral to its predictable end. Trees are consistent guardians, and throughout time have been sentinels of trouble coming in the environment. When they begin to fail we know something is wrong with our world. In this series, moths are paired with the essence of fallen leaves to symbolize our continual pattern of destruction and conservation, often when we are at the edge of the precipice. This series is created using combination of eco-prints and photo transfers: Eco-prints are created by steaming fallen leaves under heavy weights on BFK Reves printmaking paper, and moth mages are later photo transferred onto them. – Yvette Lucas, 2016
Specimen I ecoprint, edition 1 of 1 9.25� x 9� print size 200. framed
Specimen II ecoprint, edition 1 of 1 9.25� x 9� print size 200. framed
Specimen III ecoprint, edition 1 of 1 9.25� x 9� print size 200. framed
Specimen IV ecoprint, edition 1 of 1 9.25� x 9� print size 200. framed
KEELY McCOOL
“impetus of creation”
“P
romise for Our Future” starts with us, the individual. It is my belief that
only until we work on ourself and create a space for peace, hope, and love within, will the answers for the outside experience emerge. “Impetus of Creation” is a series of my interpretation of this process. “Oracle” depicts the human energy forming a vortex in the center as it shifts from the mind of collective social consciousness to a state of emptiness. From this state you move from mind to heart where one will find their Truth and Answers. “Emerge” is the essence of who we really are. These sculptures are made of Earth. What better material to represent life. I work with natural materials such as pine needles, leaves, twigs, and mud in their natural state of being. By using few of these materials in my work and minimizing their composition, the viewer can focus on their simple beauty. I deliberately use a neutral palette “forcing” the viewer to look inward to find reference and understanding. If color was applied, I feel that the viewer might reference things, places, and cultures that exist outside themselves. It is my intention for the viewer to rediscover the beauty, shape, color, and essence of these materials and in doing so, find their own essence of being ....for they are the same. – Keely McCool, 2016
Oracle mixed media 36” h x 7” l 1980.
Emerge mixed media 8’ l x 19” h x 4” d 2300.
Deliverance mixed media 28” h x 13” l x 11” d 949.
PAMELA MOORE
“Regarding Nature The Vanishing Bees”
T
his series of canvases is a reminder of the fact that due to insecticides,
pollution and deforestation, bees are dying and are at risk of extinction. Bees are the ultimate pollinator of mankind’s food source and are an indicator of our environmental quality. These mixed media canvases are made from encaustic bee’s wax, copper, brass, kiln fired enamel, rice paper and oil paint. – Pamela Moore, 2016
Regarding Nature/Vanishing Bees
bee’s wax, copper, brass, kiln fired enamel, rice paper and oil paint 12” x 12” 1200. each
Vanishing Bee I, II, III bee’s wax, copper, brass, kiln fired enamel, rice paper and oil paint 5” x 5” 800. each
T
he first blow of the hammer was a life changing instant, unleashing my
passion for stone carving. During a five-year apprenticeship with a master carver in New York, I honed my carving skills to the strong, sensuous style evident in my creations. I currently create both figurative and non-representational works in stone, wood, and kiln formed glass. My works are inspired by a love of nature and the deep human desire for a genuine connection to the natural world, defined as biophilia. The “Biophilia Series� incorporates natural elements inviting the viewer to contemplate their own relationship with nature and encouraging them to be a part of nature rather than apart from nature. Using the subtractive process, my stone and wood sculptures are hand carved revealing the medium’s inner beauty. Alabaster and limestone, formed over seven million years ago, have allowed our ancestors to communicate with us visually through the ages. I find the romance of stone carving irresistible and love the historical tradition of this medium.
My interest in glass was inspired by a combination of events. I wanted to explore a new medium that I felt was compatible with stone in terms of antiquity using a process that has not really changed over time. I was exposed to the top glass artists at the peak of the movement in the Pacific Northwest. Intrigued by the antiquity and alchemy of glass art, I studied at Pratt Fine Art Center in Seattle to develop expertise in fused, slumped and cast glass as an additional medium for sculptural expression. The mystery of glass is that it defies chemical classifications in that it is not a true liquid or a true solid. The difference is in the handling of the material and working in glass is much more left brained, demanding precision in each phase of creation. It is the opposite of stone carving in that sense. I compare it to cooking versus baking, both processes yielding something delicious. Each piece is uniquely created by a combination of techniques including cutting, layering and kiln firing hand rolled glass sheets of colored glass. – Gail Cosolaro Murray, 2015
Flora alabaster on marble base 12” x 6” x 8” 2200.
Reef Series IV alabaster on metal base 13� x 10� x 8 2900.
Reef Series III peach alabaster on wood base 17” x 15” x 13” 3800.
Glass Grass II kiln formed glass 36” x 6” x 20” 4600.
ARTIST LINKS
Susan Ahlstrom
www. susanahlstrom.com
Jane Dell
www.janedell.com
Ellen Hanauer
www.ellenhanauer.com
Yvette Lucas
www.yvettelucas.com
Keely McCool
www.keelymccool.com
Pamela Moore
www.moorepamela.com
Gina Casolaro Murray
www.casamurina.com
Please contact the Gallery by phone at 973.746.8737 or email gallery@73seegallery.com with your inquiries. Curated by Mary Z. 73 See Gallery, 73 C Pine Street, Montclair, NJ 07042 © 73 See Gallery 2016
CATALOG #13